When you consider the first season Jordan Henderson had in a Liverpool FC shirt it was clear the transfer fee was weighing heavy on his shoulders.

It’s taken him a while to look like the player worth £16million but he was outstanding last year.

Now, though, Brendan Rodgers has set him the task of pushing on from last season and has given the target of scoring 10 goals, which is perfectly possible for a player of his quality.

Once you start scoring you get the bug. You come off the pitch normally and you think ‘did I pass people in’ or ‘did I chase back enough’ but with a goal it’s a massive thing.

Henderson will know that he is pacey and because he makes such long runs it makes it incredibly difficult to pick him up.

Once you realise that you can score in certain positions he will be thinking he can get a few.

His role in this Liverpool team now is huge. You only have to look at how much he was missed at the back end of last season when he was suspended and you compare that with his first season and that is a massive statement in itself.

They may go back to him and structure the deal in a different way. It has been done before and once they’ve had a look around and thought about the alternatives it could just well be that he is still the ideal option.

Brendan has a few weeks left though and you can be certain that he’ll get it right.

Left-back a priority for Rodgers

Getting the left-back position sorted was a priority for Brendan this summer.

I always maintain it is the one area that you just cannot chop and change.

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Last season saw a variety of players adopt that role and it makes it incredibly difficult to get a settled back four or three. The more games you play together the better you understand each other.

Up front is a little bit different because you can play as a two or one but certainly at the back it is very, very important.

The Reds have got enough quality to play with a back five if they wanted to! There is so much competition for places.

But you know what football is like because all the managers will have been looking at the way teams played in the World Cup. Manchester United will play with three at the back this season and that will become a bit in vogue this year.

I’m not sure many teams will change but they will probably have a little look at it.

In may ways, though, Liverpool are in a position where they can change the way they play during a game and that is really important, even more so now that the defence is sorted because you need that flexibility.

Last season will tell you that defence is where we faulted and Brendan has taken a look at that and is very close to resolving it.

Dejan Lovren has been brought in already and he is a real ‘Steady Eddie’ and leader at the back.

You can never have enough of them – but having a settled back four is even better.

City have the money - but Liverpool have the fans

Liverpool take on AC Milan in the Guinness International Champions cup at the Bank of America stadium in Downtown Charlotte North Carolina. Fans show their support.